Committee to Strengthen National Service Holds Third Meeting

Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen having lunch with full-time national servicemen from the 3rd Transport Battalion.

The Committee to Strengthen National Service (CSNS) held its 3rd Steering Committee Meeting at Sembawang Camp earlier this morning. The meeting was chaired by Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen. The CSNS members also had lunch with full-time national servicemen (NSFs) from the 3rd Transport Battalion.

During the meeting, the CSNS members reviewed the feedback gathered from the first phase of public consultations from May to August 2013. The meeting also discussed ways to develop more volunteering opportunities in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) to enable the community to play a larger role in defence. The CSNS discussed roles for volunteers in military and non-military capacities, and will study the feasibility of these options.

The meeting also discussed measures to help operationally ready national servicemen (NSmen) better balance their In-Camp Training (ICT) duties with their other commitments. Director National Service Affairs Brigadier-General (BG) Tung Yui Fai updated the meeting that as part of MINDEF and SAF's review to enhance flexibility for NSmen, servicemen will be able to bring camera-equipped mobile phones into the Green Zones of 15 additional camps starting from 1 September 2013. BG Tung said, "A review of the pilot programme was conducted and it was found that the security zoning programme enables us to secure sensitive areas while allowing flexibility and minimising disruption for our servicemen who operate within camps."

The second phase of public consultations will commence in end August 2013. This phase will feature conversations focused on the key themes that emerged from the first phase of public consultations. The ideas generated from these discussions will contribute to the CSNS' eventual recommendations. Members of the public who are interested in participating in the second phase of the focus group discussions, which start on 30 August 2013, are invited to sign up at www.strengthenNS.sg.

Members of the Committee to Strengthen National Service (CSNS) at the third Steering Committee meeting.

More Resources

Fact Sheet: Review of Security Zoning Programme in SAF Camps

Fact Sheet: First Phase of CSNS Public Consultation